2023 Kia EV5 Long Range | AWD 88.1 kWh 313 hp Battery, Horsepower, Range

Kia EV5 Long Range AWD 2023: When FWD Isn't Enough — The Real Cost of the Second Motor

The AWD adds 70 kW at the rear and drops 0–100 km/h from 8.9 to 6.1 seconds. That's the headline. What nobody tells you upfront: it also adds 144 kg, cuts WLTP range by 85 km, and in the UK it only comes as one trim — the GT-Line AWD LR. I went through the technical documentation from two markets, owner forum threads on AWD-specific behaviour, and charging logs to figure out what the dual-motor setup actually changes in day-to-day use.

The AWD EV5 is a different ownership proposition to the FWD. It's not a simple upgrade — it's a trade-off. This block is specifically about where that trade-off lands in practice. Figures valid for cars built from June 2025.

1 Dual-Motor Setup — What Actually Changes Under the Floor LFP · 88.1 kWh gross · 230 kW system

Short answer: The AWD EV5 Long Range uses the same LFP pack as the FWD — 88.1 kWh gross, around 81.4 kWh usable. What changes is the rear axle: a second 70 kW permanent magnet synchronous motor is added, bringing combined system output to 230 kW (309 hp) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft). The front motor stays identical to the FWD at 160 kW.

The rear motor isn't always running. At cruise on a dry road, the system decouples the rear motor to reduce drag. Owners who've watched real-time torque split readouts on OBD apps describe it as seamless — you don't feel the transition. The rear motor kicks back in under hard acceleration, on low-traction surfaces, or when the front wheels start slipping.

That +30 Wh/km in combined consumption is worth sitting with for a moment. On a 400 km real-world motorway trip, you're burning roughly 12 kWh more than the FWD version. Over a year of 20,000 km, that's around 600 kWh of extra energy — noticeable on a home electricity bill, and it means one more DC stop on longer routes where the FWD wouldn't need it.

Final gear ratios — why the rear motor feels snappier

One thing the spec sheet doesn't explain: the front and rear motors run different final drive ratios. Front is 9.46:1 (same as the FWD). Rear is 11.62:1 — a shorter ratio, which makes the rear motor feel more responsive off the line. This is exactly the design philosophy Hyundai Group uses across their dual-motor platform — the rear motor handles the initial torque spike while the front provides sustained power at speed. Forum threads from early AWD owners describe the launch feel as noticeably sharper than the ratio numbers would suggest.

2 DC Charging — Does AWD Charge Any Differently? LFP · 150 kW peak · same pack

Short answer: not really. The same 88.1 kWh LFP pack sits under both cars, and the DC charge hardware is identical — 150 kW peak via CCS2, 400V architecture with an onboard DC-DC for 800V station compatibility. The charge curve shape is the same: wide flat plateau from roughly 20–50% SoC, then taper. LFP's inherent advantage — that flat mid-curve — carries over unchanged.

What does change is how quickly you run the pack down to a charge-required state. The AWD burns more energy per kilometre, so you arrive at chargers with less SoC on the same route. In practice on a long motorway trip, owners running the GT-Line AWD are planning stops slightly earlier than FWD owners would. That's the real-world expression of the +30 Wh/km consumption gap.

AC Charging — same as FWD

On-board AC charger is identical: 11 kW three-phase. Full 10–100% on an 11 kW wallbox takes approximately 8 hours 10 minutes per Kia AU documentation — slightly longer than FWD (7h 15m) because the gross capacity is measured the same way but the BMS state of calibration affects real fill time. In practice the difference is marginal.

3 Real-World Range — The AWD Tax and When You Actually Get It Back 81.4 kWh · AWD · 210 Wh/km

470 km WLTP (GT-Line AWD, 20" wheels, AU data). Kia UK hasn't published the final WLTP figure at time of writing — the AU number is the closest verified reference. In real-world terms, that 210 Wh/km combined consumption works out to around 340–380 km on a motorway run at 110–120 km/h. Compared to the FWD on the same run, you're giving up 40–50 km. That's not trivial on a 400+ km trip.

The flip side: in winter, AWD loses less range than FWD when traction conditions are actually bad. The rear motor generates its own heat, and the torque management reduces wheelspin-induced energy waste. On a cold morning with poor grip, AWD owners consistently log better efficiency than FWD on identical commutes — the drivetrain is just doing less thrashing to maintain speed.

4 Weight, Ground Clearance & Towing — the Numbers That Matter Off-Road 2,198 kg · 166 mm · 1,250 kg tow

The AWD is meaningfully heavier than the FWD — 2,198 to 2,229 kg kerb depending on variant vs. 2,054 kg for FWD LR. That 144–175 kg difference comes from the rear motor, its inverter, driveshafts, and the additional suspension geometry needed to handle the extra driven axle. You feel it in the brake pedal response under hard stops, and forum owners note the AWD doesn't feel quite as light-footed in tight car parks.

Ground clearance is actually slightly better on the AWD: 166 mm vs. 161 mm on the FWD LR. The rear motor and suspension geometry sit higher by design. That 5 mm sounds trivial but on rough tracks it adds up — forum owners who use these cars off-road consistently report the AWD handles gravel roads and mild tracks noticeably better than the numbers alone suggest, partly the clearance, mostly the torque distribution.

5 GT-Line AWD Only: What This Trim Gets That Nothing Else Does UK single-trim AWD

Because AWD only comes as GT-Line in the UK, you're automatically getting the full top-spec feature set. Some of it is genuinely useful. Some of it you'd never have asked for. Here's what's actually exclusive to this configuration and what it means in practice:

What the AWD doesn't get over FWD

There's one thing the AWD actually loses versus mid-range FWD trims: the rear sliding storage tray with heated and cooling function is GT-Line AWD only in its premium version, but the standard rear sliding tray (without heating/cooling) is dropped in favour of the premium version. This sounds like a minor detail but forum threads about the EV5 cabin come back to storage layout more than you'd expect — the GT-Line interior reorganises some storage compartments compared to lower FWD trims.

6 Wheels, Tires & Load Ratings — AWD-Specific Details 20" stock · 255/45 R20 · 8.0J rim

The AWD GT-Line runs a wider, larger wheel than any FWD trim — 255/45 R20 on 8.0J × 20 rims. That's a wider contact patch (255mm vs. 235mm on FWD) and a lower sidewall. The practical effects:

The 255/45 R20 combination gives excellent dry grip and high-speed stability — at 185 km/h it's a noticeably planted car. The tradeoff is ride compliance: the 45-series sidewall absorbs less road noise and bump energy than the 55-series on FWD models. Owners who've done back-to-back drives describe the AWD as marginally firmer on UK B-roads. Not harsh, but the difference is real.

For winter use, fitting 19" steels with a 235/55 R19 or similar winter tyre is the most common approach in forum discussions. The narrower tyre cuts through to the road surface better in snow, and you recover nearly all the range penalty from the stock 20" setup — making the AWD arguably more practical in winter than the WLTP numbers suggest.

📋 Full technical specifications — all Kia EV5 variants:

EV5 Standard Range FWD

EV5 Long Range FWD

EV5 Long Range AWD

Note: Range figures based on owner-logged sessions, forum reports, and WLTP data from Kia AU MY26 technical documentation. UK WLTP figure for AWD GT-Line not confirmed at time of publication — AU GT-Line AWD figure (470 km) used as closest verified reference. Charging curve from real DC session data. Drivetrain specifications (gear ratios, motor outputs, weights) sourced from Kia AU MY26 technical documentation and Kia UK specification sheet (June 2025). AWD vs. FWD range comparison figures are estimates derived from AU WLTP consumption data (180 vs. 210 Wh/km) applied to real-world efficiency ratios from FWD owner data. Feature list cross-referenced against both UK and AU specifications. Data compiled as of Q1 2026. Figures valid for cars built from June 2025.